An NRI couple from London reported a theft of goods and cash worth a total of approximately Rs60 lakh from their flat in Indirapuram on Wednesday night.

Shipra Krishna Vista apartments in Ahinsa Khand, Indirapuram, where the alleged theft took place on Wednesday night.(Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

An NRI couple from London reported a theft of goods and cash worth a total of approximately Rs60 lakh from their flat in Indirapuram on Wednesday night. The society’s CCTV camera shows the couple’s cook and driver leaving the building’s elevator with some of the valuables.

According to Jaiprakash Gupta (71), he and his wife Pavitra stay in Birmingham in London all year and only visit their Indirapuram residence at Shipra Krishna Vista apartments, Ahinsa Khand, twice a year. Gupta is a retired director of a private firm in London and the couple visit from March to April and from October to December every year.

“The driver Puran Singh and the cook Monu Saxena used to stay with us round the clock during our time here. On Wednesday, the five of us – I, my daughter, my wife and the two helps – left for Pitampura in Delhi for a family celebration of the Karva Chauth festival,” said Gupta.

He said his wife had last seen the two helps at 10pm. Around 10.30pm, the couple realised that the duo’s mobile phones were switched off and by 11.45pm it was also revealed that their car, an Indigo Manza, was missing.

“Around 11.45pm we called our neighbour in Indirapuram to check whether the two had come to the house. She called back at 12am saying the security guard told her that two had come, but have left now,” said Gupta.

The family rushed to their house and found it locked. They took the spare key from their neighbour and entered the flat, only to find all valuables missing.

“By chance I had left the house keys in the car’s dashboard that day. It was an open opportunity for the two and they used it to steal the valuables. We also saw the CCTV footage which clearly shows the two entering and leaving the building’s elevator with the valuables thrice. We filed a complaint at the Shipra Suncity police post at 3.30am,” said Gupta.

According to the couple, the two domestic helps took 30 tolas (an indigenous unit of weight) of gold jewellery, one HP laptop, one Apple laptop, one Apple Ipad, apart from Rs.4,47,500 and 5,500 British pounds in cash.

“The driver Puran’s maternal uncle had been working with us for the past five years, but as he was not well we hired his nephew Puran from Chandosi town one and a half years ago. After we came (to India) on October 11, we were in search of a cook and he said he knew someone from his village in Chandosi who we could hire. Hence, Monu was hired just five days ago,” said Gupta.

According to the police, police teams will trace the two in their village.

“Police teams have been sent to Chandosi to look for the accused. Their mobile phones and stolen laptops have also been put on surveillance. An FIR has been lodged under Section 379 (punishment for theft) of the Indian Penal Code against the two accused. They will be nabbed soon,” said Sheelesh Yadav, station house officer, Indirapuram police station.